Save money and give yourself a pay rise!

My daughter is struggling a bit with money at the moment. She spent too much at Christmas, like many of us. She has been talking about getting a second job to give herself a bit of extra cash. I have suggested that if she changed some of her regular spending habits she would be able to cope on her salary. Saving your pennies means you give yourself a pay rise.

She probably won’t take all of my advice, but if she just does some of this she will have more money in her purse.

Give yourself a pay rise

No1: for so many reasons as well as financial – give up smoking!! A pack of 20 cigarettes costs around £9.60!! She smokes three packs a week. Saving: £1500 pa.

No2: start taking in a packed lunch. She spends about £5 a day, five days a week. She could make her own for about a pound a day. Saving : £1200 pa.

No 3: stick to a weekly food budget. Write a shopping list and a meal plan. She currently spends about £50 a week. I think she can save at least £10 on this. Saving: £520 pa.

No4: stop buying makeup. She has so much so she needs to buy nothing until it is all used. I’m guessing she spends at least £10 a month on this but possibly a lot more! A conservative estimate of savings: £520 pa.

Girls just wanna have fun

I’m not going to suggest buying no new clothes as she doesn’t buy many and they are often second hand. I’m also not going to suggest she stops going to the pub at the weekend. She only goes once a week and she is 25! A girl needs to have some fun.

But if she did all of the above she would have an extra £3740 a year. That’s another £70 odd a week in her pocket, which is probably more than she would earn taking on a second job. That is the same as giving yourself a pay rise!

Many of us could rethink our spending habits and give ourselves a pay rise. What about you?

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13 thoughts on “Save money and give yourself a pay rise!”

What very sensible advice! I would stress giving up smoking first and foremost because, regardless of cost, it’s a killer. But people won’t be bulldozed into giving up, will they? I’ve never smoked because all my family smoked (mother, father, uncle) when I was a child and I hated being in a fug. Rather than encourage me to smoke, it put me right off, and I also thought it looked so silly, people with a white thing stuck in their mouths which they lit with a match or lighter! It didn’t look sophisticated to me, just stupid. Also, I never wanted to be addicted to anything , so smoking was a total no-no. So, do encourage her to get rid of the weed.
And, having started working in the 1960s, I always had a packed lunch or ate in the staff canteen (when places had such things) where we could buy a meal inexpensively. No carry-out coffee and pre-packed sandwiches in those days!
Makeup then was also a luxury, especially if, like me, you bought quality products, but it was a case of one face cream, one foundation, one powder, one lot of eye makeup and maybe two or three lipsticks, plus cleanser and toner. Why would anyone need more? Indeed, people seldom notice whether you’ve used a cheap brand or an expensive brand. The expensive brands might have marginally more expensive ingredients, but the cost is in the advertising and the packaging (and the brand owner’s profit) and admittedly, have a certain cache. I mean, a Dior or a Chanel lipstick looks nicer, doesn’t it? But it mightn’t make the wearer look nicer!
I do hope your daughter takes your advice, it’s all very sound.
Margaret Phttp://www.margaretpowling.com

My goodness! Similar talking going on here with one of mine at the moment! Eating ‘on the hoof’ is one of the worst habits. Some months it goes into 3 figures, and it doesn’t fill her up, lol. Alas, it seems to fall on deaf ears. I guess there will be come a time in the future when push comes to shove. Maybe that will be when things change.

Smoking is the worst thing to give up in my experience; it is a nasty addictive drug and I’m afraid to say, in my opinion, the Government don’t really want smokers to stop – too much tax not to collect!! Amanda

On the stopping smoking. Tell her to vape. I have smoked all my life (I am 68) I have COPD. 8 weeks ago I started vaping after my husband met a fellow CPD sufferer who had turned to vaping. To buy the vaping kit is way cheaper than 3 packets of fags. You just have to pay small amounts for the bits and pieces You still get the rush and nicotine. But none of the other stuff, no smell either. I havent smoked a cigarette in 8 weeks. The difference it has made to my health is just amazing. And my purse.

Do less laundry. If she’s in an apartment without a washing machine and/or dryer, it’s a hidden money pit. In the U.S., coin pay washing machines and driers average a cost of $5 per load whether full-to-the-brim or not. If you’re doing 3 loads of laundry per week, that’s $60 per month. Socks, stockings, underpants (panties in the U.S.) and bras can be washed in a sink and dried on a towel bar. Hand washing helps them last longer, too. For all other clothing, air out, spot clean and rotate throughout the week. I can wear clothing 3-4 times before it needs to be washed in the washing machine, because I allow it to air out for a day before putting it away. With a damp cloth + a drop of dish soap, I can get most spots off between laundering. 3 large loads per month vs. 3 small loads per week saves $45 per month or $540 annually. Laboratory tests prove most laundry soaps work the same; buy the lowest priced products. Phone apps can help you find coupons when buying. I have a friend who gets all her laundry products FREE this way, which can be an extra savings of up to $200 (or more) per year.

If her hair is long, she can trim it herself instead of going to a salon for haircuts. If it’s short, growing it longer will also save on salon costs or eliminate them altogether. DIY hair color (if you color it) to save quite a bit, and buy inexpensive shampoo and/or conditioner. Again, a phone app can help find coupons as you shop. DO buy a small bottle of argon or essential oil, put a few drops in one palm, rub your hands together and smooth over hair ends to keep frizz away & add shine. One friend has spent over $100 (U.S.) to have her long hair colored and trimmed every 6-8 weeks. She’s decided to eliminate that cost, for a savings of at least $600 per year.

We both colour our own hair but neither brave enough to cut our hair ourselves. However she has discovered a hairdresser in town that charges £7.50 on Mondays with the student son both plan to try this. Good tips though!

Totally agree with this. I hear so many times from friends who work full time how they pay for cleaners, dog walkers, childcare, shopping deliveries etc etc. I’m sure a lot of their wages and time is consumed with organising and paying for services. I think a lot of people don’t see the big picture, very easy to look at the income and not outgoings. I hope your daughter took your advice. I would have loved that advice on my 20’s!